Discover Gather Give Contemporary Arts Fair

Open to the public Nov 13 to 15th 2026 at Stratford-upon-Avon Town Hall CV37 6EF

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Tag Archive: jewellery

1. Bathing in the New Year

   January 11, 2023 7:15 pm Leave a Comment

   So when part of the ceiling fell down in my kitchen in late November I knew it was time to swing into action.

   The plumber and I discovered a slow leak from the shower from whence the floorboards had rotted, the joists needed drying out before the damage could be assessed and the tiles once touched fell from the wall onto my waiting hands – I can only marvel at the range of teeth sucking noises my plumber and his mates have to demonstrate the seriousness of my damp plight…

   I no longer had a working shower but I had a lovely bath I had not really used unless I had been over excitable in my fitness regime and needed a long soak to calm my aching muscles.

   It has been a revalation having a daily bath; sometimes it is a quick wash in a puddle, some times a waist deep splash and submerging hair wash, whilst on rare occassions it can be up to the chin immersive soak taking my time to luxuriate until prune skin develops…

   I make my own soaps, distilling plants from my garden to make essential oils and flower water that I use to scent my gorgeous soaps with. I make the experience of scented bathing enjoyable and will miss it when my bathroom will be redone in May.

   However the thing that I have realised that one needs art in the bathroom to look at, I know have you thought of it before? We have art in every room apart from the bathroom – I know a beautiful wooden bath tray to hold soaps and a wine glass is great but if you are lying there you need something to look at besides your toes or a damp book.

   So there you have it, anyone any ideas?

    

2. Our first online Arts Fair

   November 30, 2020 11:25 am Leave a Comment

   Over the weekend of October 30^th to November 1^st when we would normally be doing our fab Arts Fair at Stratford-upon-Avon Town Hall due to COVID-19 we went online by setting up a YouTube channel Discover Gather Give Arts Fair https://bit.ly/35QHRNh .

    

   It was a huge success for our first cyber outing with over 7,880 views of over 80 videos sent in by our artists. The videos ranged from shorts of 15-30 seconds to longer pieces of up to 30 minutes. The range was incredible, and they are still online now, so do pop over and look through them.

    

   It is fascinating to dig into the analytics and find out that unsurprisingly we had more female viewers than male, although they put in a good show of nearly 40%, and our age range of 18-24 and 55-64 years were the most popular, with the 30+ years coming in a close third.

    

   One fact that really surprised me was where our viewers came from; the UK and USA were to be expected but Belarus, Philippines, and Chile? So surprised and pleased that we can access the global markets.

    

   It brought home to me that as artists there are no limits to where you can sell your work, it is just getting your name out there and how accessible you are to your potential collectors.

    

   So I have decided that I will do another online fair in February 2021 using the skills I have learnt curating this year’s event – least of which is not to get the giggles, drop my phone whilst recording, sit in a squeaking chair or mince my words up into gobbledygoop!

    

   If you want to join us, then email me on judith@discovergathergive.co.uk

3. Covid or not to covid, that is the question

   October 31, 2020 11:51 pm Leave a Comment

   COVID-19 has changed everything so far this year, along with extremes in our reactions to it – shield and stay completely at home withdrawing from society or go with fate in continuing as near normal; both are understandable and I empathise with the fear of becoming ill, loosing someone close to you or feeling the need to keep going. Life has changed completely and is unlikely to go back to the pre-covid times of popping into the #Cafdgg hooching Private View or Golden Cup Cafe for a coffee and cake whilst visiting the busy arts fair at Stratford-upon-Avon Town Hall.

    

   There have been no live events for our Artists so far, no teaching or lectures, no workshops or demonstration and no open houses. Their ability to meet with collectors and buyers face to face has dried up so I felt I could support our artists by putting on an online fair over the weekend of October 30^th to November 1^st when we would normally be doing our fab Arts Fair at Stratford-upon-Avon Town Hall so I set up a YouTube channel Discover Gather Give Arts Fair https://bit.ly/35QHRNh

    

   The aim is for you to see the artists and their work, to be inspired in your present giving – for yourself or others – to get in contact with them directly to buy and to build an artistic relationship with them. Artists are real people and that relationship based on knowledge and trust is vital in keeping artists working and enhancing our lives with their beauty and time honed skills.

    

   I put out the call and have been mesmerised by the videos the artists produced, some showing how they make their work, others talking and showing their finished pieces, a lecture, a slide show and speeded up double fast art in action – something for everyone to enjoy time and time again.

    

   We finished up with setting out a premiere every 30 minutes from 9.15am to 7.15pm for three days, with over 85 hours of glorious art. A huge thank you to our artists for their time and effort in supporting Discover Gather Give Arts Fair in 2020, and here’s to a better 2021!

    

   Webpage for Contemporary Arts Fair Discover Gather Give www.discovergathergive.co.uk

   YouTube channel Discover Gather Give Fair https://bit.ly/35QHRNh

4. Can one have too much bling at an Arts Fair?

   July 22, 2019 11:58 am Leave a Comment

   In my research at Art Fairs, Festival, Craft events and Markets I am always looking to learn how they do things. I chat with as many artists as possible, organisers and volunteers and from each event I visit there is always something that sparks an idea that can inform how I curate Discover:Gather:Give, and this year it has been about branding and bling.

   Thanks to Dave Pearson https://creativepearson.com I feel #Cafdgg has a strong, clean, recognisable and easily identifiable brand. Our branding offers security, shares the personality of our business and its credibility. Emotionally we connect and share values with our visitors who in turn offer loyalty by returning to visit on a regular basis.

   The more I talk to organisers in this time of unknown and political unease the more I realise the importance of a trusted brand and for visitors to anticipate the standard of art works they are coming to see, the experience of the event plus their continual support of artists by buying the work on display, commissioning a piece after the event or attending a lecture or workshop –  it is that level of engagement and on-going patronage that #Cafdgg inspires .

   I believe that we can no longer just expect visitors to turn up at the Town Hall door, we need to bring them in to enjoy the experience, to be encouraged to engage with artists and to feel the excitement in discovering new and challenging art work. Nothing makes me happier as I walk the event to hear an artist sharing their creative process with a visitor, and later seeing a wrapped parcel leaving the artists exhibition space under the arm of a contented patron.

   All too often the events I visited relied on past successes with the same or similar art work; getting that balance between the new and established artists is such a difficult note to get right where both the artists and the visitors feel the event has been a success and further to quantify that success in real terms such as sales on the day and follow up sales. With a strong brand I believe one can introduce new artists whilst keeping the standard of art work at an exceptional level.

   #Cafdgg is not a super trendy, white cubicled event full of highly priced statement pieces on plinths; it has a curated balance with both traditional art and pieces to make you think, feel and cannot ignore. Our brand stands for art for all, of passion and the joy in the making, sharing, creating and collection of art. It is unique in the region for being a free entry event with such an array of art open for you.

   I started by asking can one have too much bling and no other event has anything like the Golden Cup Cafe, for me it has just the right amount of bling to keep it the positive side of tasteful kitsch; although it is becoming a close call with my golden serving platters for our Private View…

    

5. Press release May 2019

   May 6, 2019 4:42 pm Leave a Comment

   The popular and free to enter family friendly Arts Festival continues to go from strength to strength when it takes place from 1 – 2 June at the historic Stratford Town Hall. This year the Festival has attracted 40 award winning artists and craftspeople who will be showcasing a selection of high-quality paintings, prints, jewellery, textiles, photography, sculpture, ceramics and designer furniture. Now in its 6^thyear, the Festival is an unmissable fixture in the craft, art and design calendar and cultivates eclecticism and authenticity with an unparalleled passion and flair within the region’s artistic community.

    

   Escape Arts will be hosting workshops for both children and adults over the weekend at the Old Slaughter House in Stratford-upon-Avon. Visitors can recreate their pet in the style of Lichtenstein or Warhol on the Saturday and on Sunday ceramic artist Ros Ingram will teach visitors how to create terracotta garden hens.

    

   Curator, Judith Layhe-Cook said “Each year I discover some fantasticinnovative emerging artistic talent and this year is no exception! I want our Arts Festival to be open to all, for our visitors to have engaged with the artists and their work, to have bought something that makes their heart sing, to share a coffee and cake with friends, to relax into the supportive atmosphere and for each and every visitor to go home a little happier and inspired”.

    

   The Golden Cup Café is open throughout the weekend selling tea, coffee and homemade cakes served on a collection of golden vintage china. Once again, the Arts Festival is supporting ‘Shakespeare’s Puppies Appeal Guide Dogs for the Blind’. Any donations would be gratefully received.

    

   The private viewing is held on 31 May between 6pm & 8.30pm. The Festival is open to the public on Saturday 1 June from 10.30am – 5pm and Sunday 2 June from 10.30am – 4pm. There is no cost for the Saturday workshop although donations are appreciated.The Ceramic Day Workshop costs £65 per person.To book please visit www.eventbrite.co.uk.

6. Changes

   October 5, 2017 8:15 pm Leave a Comment

   I went to a forty year reunion of my jewellery colleagues last weekend and it brought into sharp focus how our lives had diverged from the path we expected to take as fearless frothy youngsters.

    

   We had plans to disrupt the jewellery business; we were going to merge the traditional into the modern, to celebrate the best design and manufacture of both worlds and to pass down our hallowed skills to eager bright eyed apprentices through Goldsmiths Hall.

    

   Out of our year of twelve, four have stayed directly in jewellery design and manufacture, one in silversmithing and I carried on to study gemmology specialising in Diamonds and Pearls; many went into teaching and all with fascinating lives.

    

   Reflecting on the process of change I realise that three things are fundamental in my life choices – family, friendship and design.

    

   I have communicated through design with the people I love; giving a present, a card or the gift of an experience – all are based in sharing and fostering artistic and open minds.

    

   It is with that passion to share that I started #Cafdgg and want to continue developing, disrupting the accepted way an arts fair is run and promoted.

    

   I adore seeing the exhibitors arrive at the Town Hall all bags and fluster filled with gleeful anticipation of the weekend ahead, the slow process of settling and setting up their displays to their satisfaction. After the Private View on the Friday night I take a quietly reflective moment to enjoy the incredible work on show.

    

   I am so proud of what the artists have achieved and realise that if my colleagues visited they too would appreciate the joy of good design.